Saturday, May 4, 2013

Blog Every Day in May: Favorite Quote

Day 4: Favorite quote (from a person, book, etc) and why

My go-to quote for life is from Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor:

Image found here

I've been through some struggles over the years (mostly relationship based within my family) and to me, this quote became my mantra in dealing with those struggles.  I had to learn how to change myself because there wasn't anything I could truly do about the situation.  (The Serenity Prayer is also a superb reflection of this same concept.)  Honestly, I had run myself ragged trying to figure out how to 'fix' the situation, when really I needed to fix myself.  I needed to come to terms with what I wanted in life and how I wanted to be perceived, and until I could do that, the situation could only control me.  I still refer to this quote or the Serenity Prayer when faced with a challenge in my every day life.

I also consider Frankl to be a total genius and much of my counseling practice was based around his methodology of Existential Therapy.  If you ever have a chance to read his book, 'Man's Search for Meaning' I highly recommend it.  It's a story of resilience and hope in one of the darkest times of history.  

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